Yet unnamed, but historically outfitted

If there's one thing we like in Over-the-Rhine, it's enjoying a bit of updated history while we dine and drink. And that's what proprietors Stuart King and Julia Petiprin aim to bring to the corner of 13th and Republic streets with their new apothecary-themed cocktail bar.

While the name has yet to be revealed, the theme is sound. The bar will be nestled in a historic storefront, replete with turn-of-the-century antique medicines, jars, bottles and sundries, along with dark wood, leather booths and vintage lighting; more moody and romantic and less American Horror Story.

King and Petiprin, cofounders of the Circle Hospital Group, are striving to create a warm, comfortable bar with a design aligned to the ethos of OTR. Petiprin, the designer of the space, will also oversee the cocktail program. It's slated to feature spirits, syrups and other homemade concoctions in a strategy developed with assistance from former Los Angeles bar manager Brandyn Tepper (Hinoki and the Bird) and Matt Landes of Cocktail Academy of Downtown Los Angeles.

The 1,200-square-foot space will hold 55 people and is slated to open in March.

More bourbon for everyone!

After a long history with bourbon, the Tavern Restaurant Group (The Pub, Nicholson's, deSha's) recently opened their latest bar concept in the former Bootsy's/Walnut Street Grill space across from the Aronoff downtown: The Horse & Barrel Bourbon House.

Inspired — and named after — the former award-winning bourbon bar (named one of the world's three best bourbon bars in 2008 by Whisky Magazine) attached to deSha’s now-shuttered Lexington, Ky., location, the Kentucky-style Horse & Barrel Bourbon Houseis the latest in the area's ever-growing collection of bourbon-focused drinkeries, joining MainStrasse's/Molly Wellmann's Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar and Northside's The Littlefield.

The bar, which is on the ground floor and seats about 40 (the upstairs will function as an events space, with space for 100-150 people and various complete event packages) offers 80 different bourbons, several flights and bourbon cocktails, plus a small menu of shareable plates with a Southern theme. The savory snacks and desserts run $6.50-$12, and include items like chicken tenderloin flash-fried and tossed in Maker's Mark barbecue sauce; gouda mac and cheese smothered in pulled pork with a Maker's Mark barbecue sauce; and a Queen City Pie, with bourbon, pecan, chocolate and banana served with salted caramel ice cream.

Their $9 bourbon cocktails range from a fruity Old Fashioned Woodford Reserve Personal Selection — orange, cherry, simple syrup, Angostura Bitters — to the refreshing Mint Julep Maker’s Mark. The premium bourbon selection also includes Old Forester Birthday 2014 Edition, Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, George T. Stagg and Woodford Reserve Personal Selection (this bourbon is only available at Tavern Restaurant Group locations, which has personally curated bourbons from both Woodford and Buffalo Trace).

Horse & Barrel also does happy hour, available from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. The “Old” One & A Cold One special includes your choice of any draft beer and one shot of the “Olds” for $5. The “Olds” include: Old Crow, Old Forester Classic, Old Grand-Dad 80 and Old Overholt Rye.

We went to the sneak preview — there were fewer shirtless 98 degrees photos than we had hoped

The Lachey brothers are officially in the bar business. Cincinnati natives and boy band superstars Nick and Drew Lachey held a preview night for their bar, Lachey’s Bar, Dec. 19. It opens to the public on Jan. 1. 2015. Mayor John Cranley, 3CDC and 4EG/Lachey’s Bar partner Bob Deck were on hand to help the brothers cut the red ribbon.

“We’re literally cutting the red tape,” Drew Lachey joked to the crowd. Cranley gave the brothers keys to the city and declared December 19 98 Degrees Day, er, Lachey Day in Cincinnati. As the event unfurled, A&E was also there rolling cameras for the upcoming reality show surrounding the opening of the bar, which will start airing in March 2015.

“Nick has been talking about this, I swear, it has to be at least a decade,” Justin Jeffre, a childhood pal of the Lacheys, fellow 98 Degrees member and editor for newspaper Streetvibes, says. “They’ve been more serious about it for the past couple of years. After hearing so many conversations, it’s nice to see it finally come to fruition.”

The sports bar, located on the corner of Walnut and 12th Street in OTR, is huge and bright, so there’s no way you’ll miss it. Because of its large windows, you can easily stand on the street and gaze inside at Drew and Nick, and read the LED sports ticker crawling underneath the 10 or so TVs hovering above the long bar.

“We felt like we wanted it be a sports lounge,” Nick says. “Sports bar, you kind of think of peanut shells on the floor, more Buffalo Wild Wings vibe, which I love, but we wanted to create something that was a little bit more upscale from that but still approachable to everybody.”

The plethora of TVs, the sports ticker and glowing rectangular colored lights wired into panels underneath the bar countertop creates almost a sensory overload. There’s already a sports bar (Rhinehaus) and a craft beer emporium/taco joint (Half Cut, Gomez Salsa) across the street, but keep in mind Lachey’s is more commodious, with 100 seats and a 150-person occupancy. Chefs Jonathan Price and Brian Duffy (of Bar Rescue fame) are building a menu of high-quality, non-frozen pub grub, including tater tots, pork sandwiches, bison burgers and salads, so you can stuff your face while you watch golf.

The big draw here is not only the bros, but also the booze. Three tap stations serve an array of craft beer and Miller Lite (Nick’s fave), but there’s also Nobilo wine on draft (it’s fancy and it’s good), cocktails on tap, a beer cocktail called Una Noche and non-alcoholic sodas for the teetotalers. Sports and non-sports fans will be able to imbibe their Miller Lite and Mad Tree Thundersnows sitting on barstools at the bar, sitting at one of the high top tables or lounging in the back of the bar on a comfy couch. Or, the ladies can take their business into the bathroom and lounge on couches in there. Note: The ladies room is nicer than most sports bars’ bathrooms.

But what’s the appeal of a sports bar to those who aren’t into sports? Nick assures, “It’s really about the people. I think I go to places because I want to be around good people and great atmosphere, and this is going to have that, for sure.”

Like many bars in OTR, Lachey’s will have happy hour, which will be yet another reason to hang out at the bar in hopes of catching a glimpse of the bros. And if you’re into the Pedal Wagon, the bar has a garage that enables the wagon to pedal right into the bar.

Currently, the only framed photos hanging on the red-hued walls are of The Bengals and Reds, and when asked if he’ll hang photos of 98 Degrees, Nick says, “We’re still decorating.” So here’s hoping some of those ‘90s-era shirtless pictures of the guys will make it onto the wall of shame.

Lachey’s Bar is located at 56 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine. For more info, go to lacheys.com.

Because everyone is over pumpkin

Tis the season for winter microbrews, and with MadTree, Rhinegeist, Christian Moerlein and plenty of others putting out unique and distinctive beers this winter, Cincinnatians have plenty of options to choose from.

Your favorite craft brewers have been hard at work combining the flavorful aspects of winter into their latest creations; ones that will surely keep you warm through the rest of the year — or at least drunk. You’ve probably worn thin of the ubiquitous Pumpkin Ales and the dull Winter Lagers, so here’s a list of the latest and upcoming craft beers. You should be able to get everything at the respective brewery's taprooms, but call ahead for availability and other serving locations.

Long Way Home: A companion to Blank Slate’s “Fork In The Road” and “The Lesser Path,” this IPA is brewed with chocolate malt and aged on cocoa nibs. It has five different varieties of hops and a 10.4% ABV.

Christkindl Winter Warmer: Unwrap this large-malt bodied ale with the essence of chocolate sweetness, and a balanced hop finish that creates a subtle spice flavor. On draft at the Moerlein Lager House. 6.95% ABV.

Thundersnow: This sweet and bread beer has an 8.5% ABV, with hints of ginger, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon. It's rare, so drink up while you can (or download the recipe at madtreebrewing.com). Look for it at Arnold's, Igby's, Boca, the Moerlein Larger House, Metropole and more; MadTree has a handy zip code locator on their site.

Pilgrim: This is a super limited beer, with hops, malted barley, cranberries, walnuts and vanilla beans. With 5% ABV.

Dad: A hoppy red ale you can take home for the holidays; it will be served in cans for the first time this year. This ale balances crisp hops with juicy malt, and notes of citrus and cherry life savor. 6% ABV.

An added bonus? The huge outdoor patio will double as a dog-friendly bar with a fire pit and a s'mores menu in winter, then games when the weather gets warmer.

A recent press release also says, "In commitment to the neighborhood, Barrio will continue with fan favorites such as open mic Jazz on Tuesdays, trivia night on Wednesdays and karaoke thursdays. Barrio will also offer live music nights and delve into the local Northside character by showcasing local artists and talent."

The restaurant will also seek out a variety of nonprofits to donate portions of proceeds to.

Barrio is located at 3937 Spring Grove Ave., Northside. Follow along with updates on Facebook.

Myrtle’s is located in the historic DeSales Corner of East Walnut Hills, and surprisingly punch itself is also heavy with history. It’s been around since the 1600s and is believed to have been first concocted by British sailors working with the East India Company. With months on deck, beer became flat and stale, and so an alternative was created. Punch originally comes from the Sanskrit word “panch” meaning five, referencing the five ingredients in the original classic punch: lemon, alcohol, sugar, spices and water or tea. Of course, like the rest of the world, punch has evolved, but despite the ingredients, the flavor template has remained the same.

The opening event on Friday, Nov. 28, will begin at 7 p.m. with ribbon-cutting ceremony with Councilwoman Yvette Simpson, followed by a red carpet entrance, live music and food from Fireside Pizza.

A Tavola's Aaron Strasser shares his favorite cocktails

A Tavola has
made its mark on Over-The-Rhine with its rustic wood fired pizzas and superb
flavor combinations. What you might not know about the high-end pizza joint is
that its craft cocktails are one-of-a-kind. CityBeat
sat down with A Tavola’s head bartender Aaron Strasser to pick his brain, and
it turns out he is as personable as he is creative and stirs up one hell of a
cocktail.

CityBeat: How did your career in bartending
start?

Aaron
Strasser: I was a
history major at UC, and my favorite period of time was Prohibition. I found it
very interesting that you could ban one of the greatest things in the world —
the cocktail. I really got into studying that when I was in college. I also
started flavor profiles. I grew up in the kitchen with my mom and she always
baking stuff and I loved tasting all the flavors and figuring out, ‘Oh, you can
pair this with this.’ I got my start here at A Tavola almost four years ago. I
didn't know much, but what I did know is flavor profiles and combinations. So
the owners gave me a chance and allowed me to make the bar what it is now.

CB: What’s your favorite spirit?

AS: I usually go with my whiskeys and
bourbon. Rye whiskey for sure.

CB: What’s the strangest
ingredient you’ve used in a cocktail?

AS: I have a couple. I always saw that
simple syrups were being made with fruits and some herbs and spices, but I
wanted to make a simple syrup out of a vegetable, so I made a red beet and
ginger simple syrup, which goes great with gin. It’s very unique, it’s a
beautiful color and the taste was very interesting. I didn't want to just use
fruit. Another strange ingredient in our new cocktail menu is the jalapeño jam
instead of a simple syrup. It’s a recipe that one of my kitchen people and I
have worked on. I wanted to have something that was sweet and savory. We do a
lot of that as far as combinations go — even in our food — lots of sweet and
savory.

CB: Do you see a change in
cocktail culture around OTR?

AS: Oh, yeah, its definitely growing.
There is a lot more appreciation as far as drinks go. A lot of people are not
just ordering cocktails that they know, instead they are actually looking at
the cocktails and asking, ‘What does this place have to offer that I haven’t
tried before?'

CB: If you had to pick one
cocktail to drink for the rest of your life what would it be?

Place the sugar
cube in a glass and add one or two dashes of Angostura bitters and a splash of
club soda. Muddle the the sugar cube. Add whiskey and ice. Stir until sugar is
dissolved. With a lighter, singe a strip of orange peel and pinch the peel to
release oils. Add the orange peel and the Amarena cherries to top it all off.

While attendees ate and drank at Moerlein's brewery space

Wednesday, Oct. 15, kicked off CityBeat’s maiden voyage for Iron Fork Cincinnati, a Iron Chef-esque cooking competition complete with famous chefs from around the city, closed-circuit television and, of course, plenty of food and drink to keep the attendees happy and buzzed.

Iron Fork’s version of Kitchen Stadium was a small-ish cooking space set up at one end of the very large room. It was fully stocked with brightly colored produce from SYSCO, plenty of spices, gas burners and shiny stainless steel cookware from Cooks'Wares. Scattered across the room were large TVs (not in HD, our spoiled selves lamented) for those who may not be able to find a spot in the small area in front of the kitchen to watch the action. The three judges were perched to the left of the kitchen, presumably starving.

Frances Kroner of Sleepy Bee, Jose Salazar of Salazar and Joe West of The Palace at The Cincinnatian were the three chefs chosen to appear for the event. Each of them had one hour to create a dish using the elusive secret ingredient: figs. (Most of the crowd had left before the secret was revealed; it had to remain a secret to make the competition fair for everyone.) Each chef also had a Junior Culinary Institute student from Gabriel’s Place on their team; all three of the students, it must be said, were incredibly impressive in their professionalism and skill.

The hour-long cooking time per chef allowed attendees to continue to wander and stuff their faces with local treats. The amount of sweet options seemed high (possibly because it was hard to locate the free water to cleanse your palate). The beer line never seemed to shorten, which was fine. If anything, it allowed for more socializing with the other food enthusiasts. Watching the cooking itself was only really entertaining near the end of the hour-long time limit — Jose Salazar straight up ran to the judges’ table with his dishes at the end, and that’s just good TV.

Once each chef’s segment was complete and the three judges were served, a fourth dish was auctioned off to a lucky audience member. (Frances Kroner’s dish went for a whopping $150.)

"All the chefs did a great job and we had a lot of fun sharing our thoughts and our food with the crowd," says judge and CityBeat food writer Anne Mitchell. "Frannie Kroner's lamb chop entree was wonderful, and (Ilene Ross, CityBeat food writer and judge) had a great idea — she added one of her lamb chops to the auction for Gabriel's Place."

"I ate all three of mine and gnawed the bones clean, so that shows you where my heart resides," she continues, laughing. "Jose's appetizer, lamb tartare, was amazing. Ilene licked her plate. It was the kind of dish that separates ordinary food from art."

The audience did not hear from the judges until the end, when they named The Palace’s Joe West as the winner for his appetizer and entree dishes.

"Joe West's appetizer and entree blew us away," says Mitchell. "The scallop crudo was another work of art, and it was the perfect starter for Joe's main dish. I wish I could be 100 percent sure of the description but things got a little crazy at the end and we really didn't hear what Joe said, but I think it was halibut in veloute sauce with bacon crumbles for a garnish, flash-fried potato 'chips' from tiny fingerling potatoes and the figs."

"Figs were the 'secret ingredient' that all the chefs had to incorporate into their dishes," she continues. "It would have been fun to see them utilized a little more essentially in the dishes instead of used as a (yummy) garnish, but that seems a little like splitting hairs."

Overall, the event’s first run was a success. Did I want to snag one of Kroner’s scallops or a bite of Salazar's lamb tartare right off the judges’ table? Sure. But I didn’t, and it still turned out to be a nice little Wednesday night.

Root for Team USA in a Belgian restaurant

The Clifton location of Taste of Belgium — Cincinnati's only Belgian-inspired eatery — will host a World Cup viewing party for the Team USA versus Belgium game on Tuesday, July 1. (The game begins at 4 p.m.)

The Clifton locale of TOB has seven HDTVs, one large HD projector screen, a big bar and a large beer selection. Afraid of who to cheer for in the Belgian bar? Owner Jean-François Flechet, a Cincinnati resident and Belgian native says, "What better place to come watch USA vs. Belgium than at Taste of Belgium? The entire staff and all our customers have cheered for both teams so far — we hope to see some good soccer."

“I’d be happy either way for either my homeland or my adoptive land to make it to the next round,” Flechet adds.

TOB will also be giving away one official Belgian and one official American soccer jersey. Patrons can enter to win the American jersey by ordering a Budweiser and the Belgian jersey by ordering a Duvel. (Those under 21 can simply enter their names.)

Parking is behind Taste of Belgium by the corner of University and Vine streets. Taste of Belgium Clifton, 2845 Vine St., Corryville, 513-394-7105, authenticwaffle.com.

Over-the-Rhine Brewery's "session pale ale" on its way to local retailers

Rhinegeist Brewery yesterday released its third canned beer, Zen Session Pale Ale. The brew is described as "like walking barefoot through a citrus grove in the morning. Earthy and orange zest hop character permeates this Session Pale."

The dry hopped brew promises to be a perfect summer companion with notes of grapefruit and pine. Zen features Golden Promise malt and Citra, Mosaic and Cascade hops with a 4.8 percent ABV, all making for a bright and drinkable ale.

You can find canned Zen, along with Cougar Golden Ale and Truth IPA (released in cans earlier this year), at several area retailers. Find one close to you here. Zen and other core and rotating beers are also available on tap at the Rhinegeist Brewery on Elm Street.